Mouth of the Canyon Trail
in Montana
Mouth of the Canyon Trail: Moderate, 1.8 Miles Round Trip Seldom-seen views of the canyon, as well as spectacular views of the Pryor and the Bighorn Mountains, can be seen from this trail. The deep red Chugwater outcrops are a sharp contrast to the surrounding geologic colors of Bighorn Canyon. To explore the colors and contrasting scenery Horseshoe Bend has to offer, begin hiking at the service road on the north end of loop B in Horseshoe Bend Campground near campsite number B-15.
Just before reaching the water storage tank, veer right onto an abandoned two-track. Follow the two-track up and around the hills toward the canyon. When the road disappears, follow the trail markers along the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range boundary fence.
From this vantage point, you can see the mouth of the canyon and its union with Crooked Creek. This colorful setting invites one to rest and watch the horses graze below and the birds soar above. You may either go back the way you came along the abandoned two-track road or follow the trail through a juniper-lined draw to the top of the ridge and back to the road.
- States
- Montana
- Trail type
- National Recreation Area trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Bozeman, MT · 144 mi · ~4 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 44.9635°, -108.2613°
About Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
This trail is inside Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, a national recreation area managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/mouth-of-the-canyon-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/bica/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Mouth of the Canyon Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Sykes Mountain Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
State Line Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Ranger's Delight Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Sullivan's Knob Trail
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Two Eagles Interpretive Trail
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Lower Layout Creek Trail
8 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.